Sunday 26th April 2015

COURGETTE, PESTO AND QUINOA SALAD RECIPE

Spring is here at long last. What a great feeling! When I was young my father was always outside for one reason or another - varnishing boats or pottering in his shed. It seems his love for the outdoors has been instilled in me too. Ever since my daughter was born I have always encouraged her to play outside. There seems to be endless opportunities to explore, which makes it more fun for everyone. We have even managed a few meals al fresco this week!  

This recipe is packed full of flavour and colour. Perfect for lunch or a light supper. I'll be honest and say that the vegetables in this dish were a little too much for my toddler to handle. She did however eat the quinoa and that's good enough for me! Roll on the summer! 

Ingredients:

170g (1 cup) quinoa seed (any colour) rinsed

2 courgettes, chopped into small squares

2 peppers (I used yellow and red)
1-2 tbsp pesto (shop bought) 

Olive oil for frying

Oregano (fresh or dried)

Salt & pepper

Garnish with coriander leaves

UK grown quinoa seed

Method:

Rinse quinoa and add to 200 ml (1 ½ cups) boiling water in a medium sized pan. Cook for 6 minutes. Cover with lid and allow to stand for a further 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.

Cut the courgettes into medium thickness round disc, then dice into four. Next, cut the peppers into cubes (similar size to the courgette). Using a large frying pan fry the courgettes, peppers in olive oil and sprinkle the oregano over a medium heat until golden brown. Season well.

Allow to cool then dot with pesto.

Sprinkle with coriander and drizzle with more olive oil if desired.

Either serve the vegetables and quinoa separately or combine.

Prep time (and cooking time): 30 minutes.

Suitable for: Gluten free, and vegetarian.

Other meal ideas: Delicious served with cold meats. 

Sunday 19th April 2015 

LITTLE PASTA ORGANICS PRODUCT REVIEW

I try and cook a family meal at least a couple of times a week. However - let's be real here - my daughter likes nothing better than pasta and more pasta.  Put it this way, her weekly menu can be somewhat limited! Luckily I've found pasta sauces from 'Little Pasta Organics' a real helping hand and what’s more they come in three different flavours. I believe they are the next best thing to a home-made sauce especially as there is no added salt and sugar. My daughter simply loves it and her parents do too! 

Little pasta organics can be purchased at Planet Organic, Ocado and Amazon.


Serves 2

Ingredients:
300g Little pasta organics shells (for kids)
1 jar of little pasta organics spinach and red pepper sauce
Handful of cheddar cheese, grated
Corn on the cob (optional)

Method:
Cook the pasta according to instructions in a medium sized pan. Meanwhile steam the corn on the cob. When draining the pasta leave a bit of starchy water at the pan (helps to stop the pasta sticking together). Return the pan to the heat and pour over the pasta sauce for a minute. Stir well. Finally sprinkle cheese over the pasta and dot the corn on the cob with butter before serving. 

Total time (prep and cooking): 10 minutes.

Suitable for: Nine months plus, gluten and vegan free (without the added cheese).

Other meal ideas: Sauce also works well poured over Bionita gluten free gnocchi. 

Sunday 12th April 2015

CASHEW YOGHURT RECIPE

If you are vegan or simply want a break from dairy then this recipe is for you.  Believe it or not I have solely used cashew nuts to make this alternative yoghurt. It is deliciously creamy and sweet.  I don’t tend to eat many nuts- I’m not allergic, just simply not a fan.  So for me personally this is a brilliant way to get more iron, magnesium and protein into my diet. I have to admit I was quite tentative about offering it to my daughter but to my surprise she really liked it! As any parent knows a toddler trying new foods can be quite a gamble! 

Inspired and adapted from 'Green Kitchen' cookbook

Ingredients:
140g (1 cup) cashews (soaked)
2 dates pitted (soaked)
1 tbsp chia seeds (preferably white) soaked in 8 tbsp/120 ml water
2 tbsp lemon juice or more to taste
120ml/ 8 tbsp water
1 tbsp maple syrup (optional) 
Pinch of sea salt

Method:

Soak the cashew nuts and dates in a bowl overnight and in a separate bowl, the chia seeds.

Place soaked cashew nuts and dates in a high speed blender (or in a bowl and use a hand blender). Add the chia seed (turned into a gel) lemon juice, water, dates, salt (and maple syrup) and blend until completely smooth. 
Best served chilled and keep refrigerated.
Lasts 2-3 days.

Total time (prep and cooking): 15 minutes plus over night soaking.
Suitable for: Gluten/dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, and egg free.

Other meal ideas: Delicious served with berries, fruit purée and or granola.

6th April 2015

Veggie crumble recipe

If you are looking for a vegetarian recipe to polish off your long Easter weekend, I'd highly recommend this veggie crumble recipe. It is a very versatile recipe so almost any vegetable left over in your kitchen will do. Any lamb leftovers would of course compliment this dish nicely too! 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the filling

About 600g mixed vegetables that you like, such as:

Carrot

Parsnip

Squash

Potato

Swede

Leek

Pepper

Kale

3 garlic cloves crushed

1tsp oregano dried

1tsp thyme dried

For the crumble

200g plain or wholemeal flour

100g butter, softened

50g cheddar cheese grated

Handful of porridge oats

Ground black pepper

2tbsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)

For the sauce

50g butter

50g plain flour

800ml vegetable stock

Salt & Pepper

Handful grated cheese (optional)

Lemon juice (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Chop or slice all of the vegetables into roughly equally sized pieces and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan and melt the butter until it bubbles slightly. Add the crushed garlic, chopped leek and herbs and cook until soft.  Set aside into another bowl.

To make the sauce (using the same pan), melt the butter and add the flour and stir well for another minute. Gradually add the stock gradually stirring as you pour- to avoid any lumps. The sauce should eventually thicken. Season and add some grated cheese or just a squeeze of lemon juice.

Add the freshly chopped vegetables to the sauce and cook gently for ten minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile for the crumble, put the flour into a mixing bowl. Chop the butter into little cubes and add it to the flour. Using your fingers rub the flour and butter together. Keep going until it looks like breadcrumbs (a few lumps are OK!) Stir in the oats, cheese, pepper and seeds (if using). Set aside.

Carefully pour the saucy vegetables into approximately a 3.5 litre square baking dish.

Sprinkle the crumble all over the top of the vegetables. You should cover all of them up and have a nice thick crumble topping. Drizzle olive oil all over the crumble.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble is bubbling and golden-brown. If necessary to help brown, place under the grill for a few minutes.

Remove the crumble from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving.

Total time (prep and cooking): 1 hour 30 minutes. 
Suitable for: Vegetarians. 

Other meal ideas: Delicious served with crusty bread,salad leaves, lamb leftovers.

RAW CHOCOLATE  MOUSSE RECIPE 

My husband, a Canadian chocoholic could not be fooled that this was similar to your every day heavy cream-chocolate-egg and butter mousse.  I, on the other hand much prefer this lighter healthier version.  I am sure my daughter thinks she is eating real chocolate mousse! I experimented two different versions of this raw mousse recipe using mashed banana and avocado independently. It was hard to decide which one we preferred. The avocado added such creaminess and banana such sweetness. In the end, I decided to add them both! I have also used a combination of coco and cacao powder, as I did not wish to compensate for the bitterness of cacao powder by adding even more maple syrup. Overall, it is an excellent way of getting more potassium into your day and contains all the added benefits of heart-healthy mono unsaturated fatty acids. A perfect family dessert! 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana mashed
1 avocado mashed
1/2 cup (80 g) dates pitted

125 ml chilled coconut cream or use the top of a can of full fat coconut milk

1 tbsp coco powder
2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tbsp chia seeds

3-4 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

¼ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt
Handful of nuts of your choice

Method:

Place the coconut cream/milk in the fridge overnight. Soak dates in a bowl with water- enough to cover the dates completely.
When ready to make the mousse, drain the dates into a large bowl and combine all the other ingredients. Blend until smooth. Spoon the mousse into teacups or small ramekins. Place in the fridge overnight to set.
Use a pestle and mortal to bash the nuts of your choice (or throw into a blender). I used green pistachios nuts- their vibrant green colour looks fantastic against the dark chocolate. 

Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Total time (prep and cooking): 10 minutes plus 12 hours to set.
Suitable for: Gluten/dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, and egg free.

Other meal ideas: Use as a healthy chocolate spread.
Delicious served with berries too. 

22nd March 2015

CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZA

This pizza recipe uses ground cauliflower florets as a base rather than flour. I urge you to try this versatile pizza as I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It also contains more nutrients than your average pizza as cauliflower is rich in potassium and high in vitamins A and C. I have counteracted the cauliflower's rather bitter taste by adding ground almonds for a hint of sweetness. At first I found putting this pizza straight into the oven on a baking tray or pizza stone resulted in a soggy base. The answer to getting a lovely crusty one is to use a cast iron pan – cooking it on the hob first and then into a hot oven. It is best eaten warm. My daughter however found it more appealing in a soft tortilla wrap with houmous- always likes to be different!

Makes 2 pizzas
Ingredients:
Base
1 cauliflower (florets)
80g ground almonds
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 eggs beaten
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil 

Tomato base 
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of cinnamon
Salt and pepper

Topping
Chorizo cut thinly
1/2 yellow pepper thinly sliced
125g ball mozzarella (drained)
25g parmesan grated

Handful of basil leaves to garnish (optional)


Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Chop the cauliflower and blend to a rice-like texture in a food processor. Add the ground almonds, oregano and egg (the texture should be more loose and sticky than traditional pizza dough).
Warm the olive oil in a cast iron pan over a medium heat for a few minutes. Then mound half of the cauliflower mix into the centre of the pan then carefully use a spoon to spread it out (save the other half for another pizza). Make it a little thicker at the edges to create a ‘crust’. After 3-4 minutes, over a medium heat remove the pan from the heat and bake in the oven for a further 25 minutes, or until golden.

To make the topping, blend together the canned tomatoes with the purée, garlic and cinnamon. Season well. Set aside. 

Meanwhile prepare for the pizza topping. Thinly slice the chorizo and fry for a few minutes each side. Slice the pepper very finely and set aside.

Remove the pizza from the oven and spread the tomato sauce over base, scatter the chorizo, peppers,tear up the mozarella ball and dot around the pizza. Finally sprinkle parmesan cheese all over. Place back into the oven for a further 5- 10 minutes until golden brown. 

Before serving, shave over a little more cheese if desired and scatter with the remaining basil leaves.

Total time (prep and cooking): 1 hour

Suitable for: Gluten free

Other meal ideas: Delicious served with a crunchy green salad

IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE

In celebration of Saint Patrick's Day this week, or the Feast of Saint Patrick I thought I would make Irish soda bread. It is terrific loaf to make when time is of the essence, as it contains sodium bicarbonate as a leavening agent (instead of the more common yeast where proving is required). In my recipe, I have served this delicious bread with my father's very own flavourful marmalade. My father has been making marmalade at the start of every year for as long as I can remember. The kitchen always ended up in a sticky mess, which drove my mother crazy! However, the end result was always worth it- a years supply of marmalade! You can of course serve it with any jam of your choice or simply melted butter. Even though I won't be able to tuck into this loaf (gluten intolerant), I know my family will!

Recipe from BBC Good Food

Serves 6

Ingredients:

250g plain white flour

250g plain wholemeal flour

100g porridge oats

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

25g butter (in chunks)

500ml buttermilk

Butter and Jam

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C.

Dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Quickly pour in the buttermilk and using your hands bring the dough together (handle it very, very gently). Next shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter. 

Place the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top (to help the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-40 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.

Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. 

It is best eaten on the same day and broken into quarters. 

Total time (prep & cooking): 50 minutes